Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana's 'Heartbeat bill,' Roe v. Wade remains intact

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down Louisiana so-called "heartbeat bill," essentially aiming to make abortion illegal once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The law was unconstitutional, says B. Jessie Hill, said professor and associate dean for research and faculty development at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Louisiana was among the first states to challenge to Roe vs. Wade. In 2018 alone, seven states introduced so-called “heartbeat bills” that ban abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy. On Monday, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal justices on the Supreme Court to block the controversial Louisiana abortion; critics charge that it could have closed nearly every clinic in the state.

Hill said that she expects others states to push ahead with their own “heartbeat bills” but will likely lose those legal challenges in lower courts.

Monday’s 5-4 ruling is a win for supporters of abortion rights who argued that the law was not medically necessary and amounted to a veiled attempt to restrict abortion.

Jessie Hill is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law